Junior Professional Officer

All costs relating to the assignment of these Junior Professional Officers are to be borne by the authorities of the nominating participating States.

 The OSCE is once again offering six slots within the framework of its Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme which are open for secondment of candidates by OSCE participating States with a view to contributing to the development of a gender and geographically balanced pool of qualified candidates for future applications

The goal of the programme is to provide JPOs with a comprehensive overview of the Organization, with a particular focus on familiarization of the OSCE programmatic approach and managerial framework. To achieve these practical skills, objectives on relevant subjects will be established using workplans compiled by the respective supervisor.

 The programme will commence in early April with a three month period in the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna and will continue with a maximum period of six months in OSCE Missions and/or Institutions. There will be no guarantee for future employment with the OSCE, however, JPOs will obtain adequate experience to be in a position to compete for future posts, in particular seconded ones, within the OSCE.

• Only candidates with completed degrees from accredited universities in appropriate fields of study fitting into the OSCE context will be taken into consideration (see http://www.osce.org/employment/20)
• The age limit for applicants is 30 years
• Professional fluency in English, both oral and written, and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely is mandatory (telephone interviewswill be conducted)
• Knowledge of other OSCE working languages would be an asset
• Ability to operate Microsoft Office applications, including word processing and e-mail
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds whilst maintaining impartiality and objectivity
• Excellent physical condition
• Possession of a valid automobile driving license and ability to drive using a manual transmission
• Ability to cope with physical hardship and willingness to work extra hours in an environment with limited infrastructure

Please complete the application form online found at http://www.osce.org/employment.  Candidates interested in this programme must direct all inquiries to their designated contact point, usually the respective Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The online application system of the OSCE will forward applications directly to the respective authorities. The national authorities will make an initial selection and nominate these candidates to the OSCE.

 Please note:

Some countries do not provide the possibility of an online application for seconded positions. In such cases contact the respective OSCE delegation, address on http://www.osce.org/contacts/delegations.

No applications sent directly to the OSCE Secretariat will be considered.

It is envisaged that the Junior Professional Officer selection process will be undertaken by the OSCE in the second half of the month of February. This additional programme will run from April-June 2011 in the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna and then, depending on the decisions of Institutions and Missions, the JPOs will be assigned to the respective OSCE entities from July to December 2011.

Candidates are requested to apply through the OSCE desk of respective Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States. Refer to http://www.osce.org/who/83

Please apply to your relevant authorities several days prior to the deadline expiration to ensure timely processing of your application. Delayed nominations will not be considered.

The OSCE is committed to achieving a better balance of women and men within the Organization. The nomination of female candidates is particularly encouraged.